E-Paper
SUPERBOOK: The Catcher In The Rye
The book is a masterpiece. It is not whining about life but shares the same cynical perspective we all tend to have on nasty mornings.
The Catcher In The Rye
JD Salinger
• Price — Rs 230
• Publication — Little Brown and Company
Ever since The Catcher in the Rye came out in 1951, it has been knee deep in controversy and a source of unbridled fascination. Though banned at various places for its offensive language and discussion of alcohol abuse, prostitution, pre-marital sex et al, it continues to be taught in public schools across America and is one of the most interesting reads in the course.
There has been a lot of dreadfully damning criticism of the book. Mark David Chapman, murderer of John Lennon, was known to be carrying a copy of The Catcher in the Rye, when he was arrested. The protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield is thrown out from his third prep school just before Christmas. We thus follow him from his last days at Pency Prep to his exploration of New York City which leads him further to more final decisions and observations about life.
In the course of a seemingly downhill but essentially bumpy journey we realise that Holden is utterly frustrated, desperate and alone. He hates the world, everything he encounters is “crumby” and every individual he meets is “phoney”.
He repeatedly tries to fit into adult society, but almost always manages to mess up. And being spurned, Holden’s dismissal of the people he was trying to fit in with a few seconds ago, becomes even more intense.
Despite the great denunciation of the novel for being indefinite in its description, there are quite a few statements that just stay with one long after the last page. “I’m always saying ‘Glad to’ve met you’ to someone I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.”
The book is a masterpiece. It is not whining about life but shares the same cynical perspective we all tend to have on nasty mornings. It’s not about a hypocritical young man spouting foul language and trying to cut himself from the society. But about his search for innocence and his ambition.
His altruistic ambition to be “the catcher in the rye”. Read it for there ain’t nothing like it!
